With the college football season approaching, we took a look at the over/under win totals for each Big Ten team this fall to see what the general public thinks about each team.
Believe it or not, the 2025 college football season is right around the corner. As we get closer and closer, the market for sports betting futures solidifies further and further. With a little more than a month until the season kicks off, we wanted to examine what Vegas thinks of each Big Ten team by looking at the over/under win totals.
Here’s what the oddsmakers over at FanDuel Sportsbook thinks about each Big Ten team this year.
Purdue: 3.5 wins
The Boilermakers bottomed out under Ryan Walters in 2024 leading to his firing. Now under Barry Odom, the Purdue offense should make some incremental gains. However, the defense loses every single starter and isn’t well-stocked via the portal. Purdue will struggle to stop anyone in 2025.
Northwestern: 3.5 wins
Northwestern had a disappointing 2024 season following some optimism in 2023. Sadly, the roster looks like one of the worst in the conference in 2025 with transfer quarterback Preston Stone being one of the only sources of hope. A winless Big Ten slate is a possibility for this group.
Maryland: 4.5 wins
Mike Locksley has always recruited well, but has struggled in the development aspect of the job. There are question marks up and down the depth chart, with the only saving grace being a fairly easy schedule. There’s potential for upward mobility, but it’s tough to believe in it until you see it, so 4.5 feels right.
Rutgers: 5.5 wins
Despite some recent success under Greg Schiano, 2025 seems likely to be a step back for the Scarlet Knights after losing star running back Kyle Monangai. Rutgers also have to take on Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Illinois this year. A bowl appearance would be a surprise.
UCLA: 5.5 wins
The Bruins got a whole lot more intriguing when they brought in Nico Iamaleava. Without him, UCLA was poised to be at or near the bottom of the Big Ten. With him, they could they be a bowl team.
Michigan State: 5.5 wins
Jonathan Smith desperately needs a breakout year by Aidan Chiles in order to kickstart the Spartan rebuild. While Michigan State does have a favorable schedule, the talent just doesn’t appear to be where it needs to be just yet. I have a tough time finding six wins on the schedule.
Wisconsin: 5.5 wins
We may be looking at Luke Fickell’s last season in Madison if things don’t go well. While the roster isn’t terrible by any means, the Badgers have arguably the toughest schedule in the conference with games against Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama, Illinois, and Michigan. A bowl berth might be considered a successful season, which is wild to say.
Iowa: 7.5 wins
Under normal circumstances, starting a quarterback who transferred from South Dakota State wouldn’t be advisable for a program like Iowa. However, Mark Gronowski appears to be a different animal. The offense should make incremental gains while Phil Parker’s defensive unit will be stout as always.
Minnesota: 7.5 wins
The Golden Gophers have consistently been in the middle of the pack under P.J. Fleck’s guidance, and I don’t expect that to change. There are questions at quarterback and other places, but this isn’t a cellar-dwelling team.
USC: 7.5 wins
Lincoln Riley’s seat keeps getting hotter and hotter every year. This season may be the pinnacle if he can’t put together a solid showing. USC has the pieces to be a conference contender this fall, but a brutal schedule that includes Notre Dame, Oregon, Illinois, and Michigan will likely preclude it from that.
Washington: 7.5 wins
Washington has the hype train rolling for quarterback Demond Williams. Now that Jedd Fisch has had an opportunity to be the head coach through an entire offseason cycle, I expect the Huskies to see significant progress.
Nebraska: 7.5 wins
Matt Rhule will look for Dylan Raiola to take a large step forward in his sophomore season. Unfortunately, Nebraska also loses its entire front seven on defense, so it will be a large transition on defense. A manageable schedule makes 7.5 feel about right.
Illinois: 8.5 wins
Illinois should be strong in the trenches yet again in 2025. Throw in a returning quarterback in Luke Altmyer and about as easy of a schedule as you can get in the modern-day Big Ten and the Fighting Illini may be in business this fall. This line feels a tad low.
Indiana: 8.5 wins
Curt Cignetti did an excellent job at keeping his roster largely in tact from a year ago. However, the Hoosiers don’t have the same cake-walk schedule they had in 2024, as they play Penn State, Oregon, and Illinois among others.
Michigan: 9.5 wins
Sherrone Moore and company are one of the biggest wild cards in the Big Ten this year. The Wolverines should be better than last year and have a significantly easier schedule, but they will have to look to inexperienced players to step up.
Ohio State: 10.5 wins
The Buckeyes lose a ton of talent on both sides of the ball, but the cupboards are far from bare. However, a very difficult schedule including Texas, Penn State, Illinois and Michigan makes 10.5 feel a bit aspirational.
Oregon: 10.5 wins
Oregon unsurprisingly reloaded via the transfer portal, as Dan Lanning can recruit virtually anyone he wants. With quarterback Dante Moore leading the charge now, the Ducks should in the middle of the Big Ten title race.
Penn State: 10.5 wins
Penn State is the hot name in college football this season due to returning nearly every major contributor from last season. I’m sure James Franklin will find a way to fail spectacularly, but 10.5 regular season wins feels about right.